Steam cooking apparatus.



Patented lunjo 5, 1900. T. DOUGLAS.

SIEAM COOKING APPARATUS.

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T DoLAs. STEAM CUUKING APPARATUS. (Application tiled 0ct. 81, 1899.)

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THOMAS DOUGLAS, OF LONDON,l ENGLAND.

STEAMA COOKING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,242, dated June 5, 1900. Application filed October 31,1899. Serial No1 735,356. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DOUGLAS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resi-V dent of London, Engianchhave invented anew and Improved Steam Cooking Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

The invention relates to steam cooking apparatus and is chieiiy designed for the cookro ing of hams in large quantities in an expeditious and convenient manner.

One object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient means for drying to some extent and preventing condensation of the i 5 steam in the cooking-chamber, which steam is admitted to said chamber through a perforated pipe or coil.

Another object of the invention is to :facilitate placing of the hams in and their removal zo from the cookingechambelg'so that the said chamber will not be required to be kept open for so long a time as hit-herto to permit the removal of a quantity of cooked hams and the introduction of a fresh quantity of matez 5 rial to be cooked.

I'Iitherto steam cooking apparatus for the cooking of meat has been constructed in such manner that the cooking chamber or box is to be kept open while each joint of meat cooked 3o therein is separately removed therefrom and each joint of meat to be cooked is separately 1 suspended therein, with the result that there is a great loss of heat during this operation,

as well as a loss of time, and in such appa- 35 ratus as heretofore constructed the steam which is admitted through the perforated pipe condenses to a greater or less extent upon the interior surface of the top and sides of the cooking chamber or box and the Water of con'- 4o densation has to be carried off. I seek to obviate these defects or inconveniences, and to that end I provide a cookingl chamber or box of suitable shape and dimensions and having, as usual, a perforate pipe or 'coil for the admission of steam for cooking purposes, and I also prov-ide a cage or carriage which can be readily and expeditiously introduced into or removed from l[he said. chamber or box and which is so constructed that the'hams 5o to be cooked can be suspended or supported therein in rows in three or in any other desired number of tiers, and I furthermore pro vide the said chamber or box with imperio` rate serpentine pipes or coils for the circulation of steam or any other suitable heating medium, ywhich pipes or coils are situated in contact with or in close proximity to the interior surface of the -top or ends and sides of the said chamber or box, so that steam or other heating medium circulating through 6o them will heat the top or ends and sides of said chamber and maintain them at a suffi'-4 ciently-high temperature to prevent condensation of the steam admitted through the said perforated pipe or coil, vand the heat radiating from said heating pipe or coil will also to some extent dry the steam in said chamber.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts,as Willbehereinafterfully setforth,and 7o pointed out in the claims. l

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in,which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. 7 5` Figure l is a side elevation of one form of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2'is a front elevation of the same, the door being removed and the cage or carriage withdrawn. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cage or carriage, 8o which is adapted for holding a large number of hams to be cooked. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of another form or modification of the apparatus and likewise a side elevation of I the cage and a device for lowering the cage or carriage into the apparatus and lifting'it out of the cooking-chamber, and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the cooking-chamber shown in Fig. 4.

The apparatus may be constructed of any 9o suitable material, and the body of the apparatus consists of a casing in which is contained a suitable cooking-chamber A, and this cooking-chamber is provided with a lid or door l0, arranged when secured in position to prevent the escape of steam, the door being secured, preferably, by hinged bolts Il, which extend through slots in the said lid or door and slots 12 in the flange 13 of the said chamber, against which the door closes, as shown in Fig. 2, rfc and the said bolts l1 are provided with suitable wing-nuts 14. The usual perforated pipe er coil is carried into the said chamber A for the admission of steam ferceeking purposes. A serpentine nen-perforated heating pipe or coil 16 is located within the said chamber A, extending at the sides and ends thereof and at the betteln, if desired. This coil 15 is adapted to receive steam er other heating medium, and the ends of the coil extend ont through the casing, one end preferably at the bottomand the other end at the opposite side near the top. The steam or other heating medium received in the coil of non-perforated lpipe 1G is for the purpose ef drying the steam admitted into the chamber through the perforated pipe er coil 15, and the said non-perforated pipe or coil 1G is adapted for heating the top er -ends and sides of the chamber A, so as te prevent cendensation of the steam in the said chamber.

A cage or carriage 17, preferably of skeleton construction, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is adapted te be readily inserted into and removed frem the chamber A. This cage er carriage consists of bottom hars, upright bars and top bars, and horizontal intermediate bars, the latter being designated as 18. The cage is so constructed that the hams can be suspended therein in rows from the bars or rods 18 in three tiers er in any other desired number of tiers or the hams may be placed in trays which are laid en suitable rods or bars in the said cage er carriage.

In the ferm of the apparatus shown in Figs.

. 1 te 3 the door 10 is at the freut end et' the chamber A, and on the door of the latter are provided suitable rails 19, and the cage or carriage 17 is mounted upon wheels 20, sc that when the cage er carriage is loaded it can be readily pushed along a platform level with the said rails and ente said rails orup an inclined plane and ente the rails 19 in the said chamberA, and the door 10 can then be closed, and when the hams contained in the said cage er carriage are cooked the door can be readily removed and said cage er carriage Withdrawn from the chamber A and another cage or carriage introduced into the said chamber. The chamber A is provided with an exhaust-pipe 21, a thermometer 22, and a safety-valve 23. In this ferm ef the apparatus the heating pipe er coil 16 extends along the top and sides of the chamber A in Contact with or in proximity to the interior surface thereof. I employ any desired number of cages er carriages 17 in conjunction with a single cooking-chamber A, so that while a quantity of hams contained in one carriage er cage is being cooked the cooked hams in another carriage or cage which has just been withdrawn from the said chamber can be taken out from the said cage er carriage and replaced by other hams te be cooked. Much time is therefore saved in the use ef lny apparatus as compared with the forms of steam cooking apparatus heretofore devised, and I also avoid cooling ef the chamber A by its being kept open for a long time.

In the ferm or modification of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the door 10 is at the top of the chamber A and the heating pipe er coil 16 extends along the ends and sides of the said chamber. The carriage er cage is in this case lowered inte the chamber A and lifted therefrom by means of an overhead traveling crane er by blocks and tackle 24, suspended from a traveler on an overhead beam er track 26--such, for example, as is illustrated in Fig. 4.

It is evident that although the improved apparatus is chieliy designed for the cooking of hams it can also be used for cooking other kinds of feed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire te secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a steam cooking apparatus, the cembination, with a chamber having a removable door and means for locking the door thereto in a steam-tight manner, and a perforated steam-inlet pipe located Within the said chamber, of an imperforate coil er pipe disposed within the said chamber near the inner walls thereof, the said imperforate coil having its inlet and outlet ends at the exterior of the chamber, the said chamber being further previded with a safety-valve and an exhaustpipe, and a carriage arranged te Iit within the said chamber and within the imperforate coil in close proximity te the perforated inletpipe, the said cage or carriage having means for supporting the material te be cooked, and a device for raising and lowering the said cage er carriage from and into the said chamber, as described.

2. In a steam cooking apparatus, the cem'- bination with a chamber having a removable door and means for locking the door thereto in a steam-tight manner, and a perforated steam-inlet pipe located within the said chamber, ef an imperferate coil or pipe disposed Within the said chamber near the inner walls thereof, the said imperferate coil having its inlet and outlet ends at the exterior of the chamber, the said chamber being further pre` vided with a safety-valve and an exhaust-pipe, and a carriage arranged te fit within the said chamber and Within the impcrferate coil in close proximity te the perforated inlet-pipe, the said cage er carriage having means for supporting the material to be cooked, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name te this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS lDOUGLAS.

X'Vitnesses:

GEORGE LEWIS CeNRoY, HARRY- HUGHES.

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